Storage and dispensing magazine for rolled strips of light sensitized material

ABSTRACT

A container or magazine comprising interfitting, integrally formed magazine body and magazine cover members, each having sidewardly inwardly directed spool holding means for supporting a contained roll of photosensitive strip material is described. Lighttight interfitting engagement is achieved by the reception of peripheral edge portions of the body member in a complemental groove in the cover member, and permanent and rigid interfitting securement is effected by the application of small amounts of a suitable liquid-sealing agent to a plurality of wells or receptacles provided along the path of interfitting engagement, from which the sealing agent flows in each direction along the path of interfitting engagement by capillary attraction. The dispensing slot, extending exteriorly of the magazine, follows a shallow S-shaped path to prevent light piping. The opposite sides of the assembled magazine are sufficiently flexible to permit clamping against the opposite ends of a contained roll by means of a central, side-to-side threaded post and thumb nut mechanism which can readily be tightened to secure the roll in place to prevent unraveling of the strip material during transport and storage.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Murray Friedel North Miami Beach, Fla. [21] Appl. No. 23,265 [22] Filed Mar. 27, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [73] Assignee Visual Graphics Corporation [54] STORAGE AND DISPENSING MAGAZINE FOR ROLLED STRIPS OF LIGHT SENSITIZED MATERIAL 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 242/71.l, 206/52 F, 242 /55.53, 242/71.7 [51] Int. Cl G03b H04 [50] Field of Search 95/31 CA; 206/52 F, 52 R, 58, 59 R, 59 E, 62; 220/67; 242/71, 71.1, 71.7, 68, 55.2, 55.53, 84.8, 96, 99

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,410,420 11/1946 I 242/84.8 X 2,731,894 1/1956 242/71.1 X 2,331,892 10/1943 242/84.8 X 3,353,660 11/1967 206/52 F 2,239,188 4/1941 242/71.7X 2,329,989 9/1943 242/7l.1 3,128,058 4/1964 242/71.1

2,815,181 12/1957 Dickinson 3,482,798 12/1969 Kawaguchi Primary ExaminerJoseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman AttorneyErnest H. Schmidt ABSTRACT: A container or magazine comprising interfitting, integrally formed magazine body and magazine cover members, each having sidewardly inwardly directed spool holding means for supporting a contained roll of photosensitive strip material is described. Lighttight interfitting engagement is achieved by the reception of peripheral edge portions of the body member in a complemental groove in the cover member, and permanent and rigid interfitting securement is effected by the application of small amounts of a suitable liquid-sealing agent to a plurality of wells or receptacles provided along the path of interfitting engagement, from which the sealing agent flows in each direction along the path of interfitting engagement by capillary attraction. The dispensing slot, extending exteriorly of the magazine, follows a shallow S-shaped path to prevent light piping. The opposite sides of the assembled magazine are sufficiently flexible to permit clamping against the opposite ends of a contained roll by means of a central, side-to-side threaded post and thumb nut mechanism which can readily be tightened to secure the roll in place to prevent unraveling of the strip material during transport and storage.

ATENTEU 0m 1 2 {WI SHEET 1 [IF 2 fi'm 5,

PATENTED 0m 1 2 I9?! 1 2, SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR. MURRAY F RIEDEL @5 BY MMM Q STORAGE AND DISPENSING MAGAZINE FOR ROLLED STRIPS OF LIGHT SENSITIZED MATERIAL This invention relates to dispensing containers for unexposed photographic film or paper and is directed particularly to improvements in such a container or magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of such sensitized materials.

In applicant's US. Pat. No. 3,286,608 issued Nov. 22, 1966 and titled Photographic-Type Printing Device there is described a device for photographically printing and arranging type or other graphicimages on strips of photographic paper for use in graphic composition. The photographic strip material is fed from a wound-up roll of the material contained in a preassembled, light-tight magazine of such construction as to be disposable when its supply is exhausted.

Photosensitive strip materials magazines of the character above described, which were generally fabricated of heavy paper, cardboard or synthetic plastic materials, have been found to be deficient in many respects, principal among which are that they are not secure against dust infiltration, they permit unraveling of the rolled photographic strip material during transport and storage, they are not lighttight either at the scams or at the dispensing slot through which the material is fed, nor are they dimensionally stable. Such light piping at the dispensing slot and light leakage at the seams resulted in spotting, fogging, and impairment of resolution in the printed image. Dimensional instability manifested itself in improper fit of the magazine in its associated photographic equipment and short term storage capability. Unraveling or unrolling of the wound strip resulted in scratching of the photographic emulsion, further impairing the quality of the printed image.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolls of photosensitive strip materials which ob-' viates the above-described deficiencies of such magazines as have heretofore been devised.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a magazine of the above nature which can be inexpensively fabricated of synthetic plastic materials by injection molding techniques, and which comprises a magazine body member and a magazine cover member each integrally formed with roll spool support and holding means including a simple mechanism for clampingthe strip roll in place within the magazine whenever required to prevent unraveling, and including interfitting engagement means rendering the magazine substantially rigid and lighttight both with respect to the interfitting juncture and the dispensing slot opening for the photosensitive strip material.

Another object is to provide a sensitive materials magazine I of the above nature the interior of which defines smoothly curved surface portions along the facing path of travel of the strip material as it unwinds during its dispensing, thereby minimizing any possibilityof scratching or abrading of the strip surface emulsion during the dispensing, while at the same time permitting retrograde movement of the strip into the container without jamming or scratching. The circularly rounded inner surface of the magazine also prevents doubled-up portions of the unwinding strip being carried along with the outer end of the strip to jam at the dispensing opening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a magazine of the character described wherein permanent and substantial rigid cementing of the cover member to the body member is effected in the assembly of the device by means of wells or receptacles provided along the path of interfitting engagement by capillary attraction.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is an oblique elevational view of a magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolls of sensitized materials, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an "exploded view of the magazine, illustrating details of the interfitting and interengagement mechanism providing for lighttight sealing of the magazine;

FIG. 3 is a partial front elevational view of the magazine illustrating details of the sensitized material dispensing opening;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the devise, taken along a vertical plane, illustrating how a rolled strip of sensitized material is contained and dispensed;

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlargement of that portion of the magazine encompassed by the broken line 6-6 of FIG. 5, illustrating details of the interengagement mechanism by means of which the magazine assembly is made lighttight.

Referring now in' detail to the drawings, reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 designates, generally, a preferred fonn of magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolls of unexposed, i.e. light-sensitive photographic film or paper. Although the magazine construction herein disclosed is particularly wellsuited to the feeding of photographic paper to a photographictype printing device such as is disclosed in applicants abovedescribed patent, it is to be understood that it is welLadapted to use in all instances requiring continuous or intermittent feeding of rolled strips of sensitized materials.

The magazine 10 comprises a body member 11, a sidewall member 12, both of which are preferably integrally molded of a strong, somewhat resilient synthetic plastic material such as polystyrene, and a roll-securing, self-threading thumb nut 13, preferably of stamped sheet metal.

The body member 11, as best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, comprises a sidewall 14 formed with a circular upper portion extending into downwardly directed rear and front skirt portions 15 and 16, respectively, which, together, define a straight bottom edge 17. The sidewall 14 of the body member 11 extends laterally into a substantially cylindrical, peripherally extending wall 18 the underside of which, just forwardly of the rear downwardly directed skirt portion 15, extends into a short, flattened portion I9 the underside of which is in register with the bottom edge 17. The forward end of the flattened portion 19 merges into an upwardly and outwardly curved portion 20 terminating in a forwardly extending wall portion 21. The forwardly extending wall portion 21 terminates in a downwardly directed front wall portion 22.

The cylindrical wall 18 at the front of the magazine extends into a forward end portion 23 which is substantially in vertical alignment with the forward end of the flattened portion 19 of the cylindrical wall 18, whereat it is reversely directed in substantially uniformly spaced relation with respect to said flattened portion and the forwardly extending wall portion 21 to provide an upper forwardly extending wall portion 24. The lower and upper forwardly extending wall portions 21 and 24, respectively, define therebetween, at their outer ends, a dispensing slot 25 (see FIG. 4). As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dispensing slot 25 is formed with an upwardly directed recess 26 which is somewhat short of each end of said dispensing slot for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The upper surface of the forwardly extending wall portion 24, at the inner end thereof, defines, with the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 18 of the body member 11, a laterally extending detent slot 27 for the purpose hereinafter appearing. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the body member 11 is also integrally formed with a tangentially downwardly extending rear skirt portion 28.

As is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, sidewall 14 of the body member 11 is provided with a concentric circular depression 29 defining an inwardly extending outer cylindrical surface 30, said surface being integrally formed with a plurality of peripherally spaced, axially extending ridges 31. The circular depression 29 has integrally formed therewith a coaxial, reduced-diameter, inwardly extending cylindrical post 32. The outer end of the post 32 merges with a coaxial, reduceddiameter end portion 33 for the purpose hereinafter appearmg.

The sidewall cover member 12, (see FIGS. 1 and 2), comprises a flat sidewall portion 34 integrally formed with an inwardly projecting ridge 35 defining a flat inner surface portion 36 which is substantially perpendicular to the inner face of said sidewall portion. Except for outwardly directed arcuate loop portions hereinafter more particularly described, the path shape defined by the inwardly projecting ridge 35 is such as to match the configuration of the substantially cylindrical wall 18, the flattened portion 19, the upwardly and outwardly directed wall portion 20, the forwardly extending wall portion 21, the front wall portion 22 and the tangential rear skirt 28 of the body member 11, at the outer ends thereof, so as to be slidingly interfittingly received thereat as illustrated in FIGS. and 6. To enhance the interfitting engagement, the inner surface portions 36 of the inwardly projecting ridge 35 extends into a recess 37 coextensive therealong and adapted to receive embracingly fitted therein the above-described outer edge portions of the body member 11. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the ridge 35, approximately at comer positions in the sidewall portion 34, extends into outwardly directed, circularly arcuate open loop portions 38 defining individual wells 39 utilized during the assembly of the magazine, as hereinbelow described. The two upper and the lower rear loop portions 38 are received in upwardly extending skirt portions 40 and in a forwardly extending side skirt portion 41 of said sidewall portion, said forwardly extending side skirt portion in the front edge 42 thereof being of matching size and configuration with respect to the downwardly extending skirt portion 16 and front wall portion 22 of the body member 11. The forwardly extending side skirt portion 41 at its upper end merges with an upper surface portion 43 which, upon interfitting assembly of the body member 11 and the sidewall cover member 12, registers in abutting engagement with the outer edge of the forwardly extending wall portion 24 of said body member. The upper surface portion 43, moreover, extends inwardly to define, with the remainder of the flat sidewall portion 34 of the sidewall cover member 12, a detent slot 44 matching the detent slot 27 of the body member 11 when said body member and said cover member are assembled.

The sidewall cover member 12 is also formed with an inwardly directed, concentric circular depression 45, similar to the circular depression 29 in the body member 11 and similarly defining an exterior cylindrical surface 46 having shallow, radially outwardly projecting ridges 47. The bottom wall of the circular depression 45 is provided with a central opening 48 of such size as to freely pass the reduced-diameter outer end portion 33 of the post body member 32, but not large enough to admit the main body of said post.

In assembly of the magazine, the spool of sensitive material 49 wound on a tubular core 50, such as of cardboard, will be fitted over the cylindrical surface 30 of the circular depression 29 within the body member 11 with the free end of the spool material 51 running anticlockwise and extending through the dispensing slot 25 (see FIG. 4). The sidewall cover member 12 will then be snap-fitted in place. As described above, as a preferred method of permanently securing the sidewall cover member in place when the magazine is fabricated of a suitable synthetic plastic material the magazine assembly will then be placed fiat upon said cover member and two or three drops of a plastic sealant, such as methylene chloride, will be placed in each of the wells 39 to be drawn, by capillary attraction, along substantial distances to each side of each well along interfitting groove portions. The fusing at interfitting surface portions thereby achieved efiects a permanent bond which, because of the nature of interengagement of outer edge portions of the body member 11 within the recess 37 of the sidewall cover member 12, insures light sealing and dust sealing integrity. As an alternative method, sealing could be effected by ultrasonic welding.

With reference to FIG. 5, it is to be noted that the internal diameter of the tubular core 50 of the photographic tape spool 50 is such as to be freely rotatable about the opposed cylindrical surface portions 30 and 46 about which it rotates. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the ridges 31 and 47, about which the end portions of the spool core 50 rotate, serve to keep rolling friction thereof upon dispensing of the photographic strip 51 to a minimum.

A salient feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for locking the strip spool 49 in place within its magazine during transport, storage, and other periods of nonuse. This is important to prevent abrasion of sensitized surface portions or emulsion by relative sliding contact with adjacent undersurface portions of the strip due to vibrations in transporting, etc. To this end it will be noted that, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the overall end-to-end length of the spool core 50 is slightly less than the normal distance between the inside of the sidewall 14 of the body member 11 and the flat inner surface 46 of the sidewall cover member 12. Thus, under ordinary use conditions, the spool core 50 is free to rotate as required during dispensing of the sensitized strip or tape 51. The self-threading thumb nut 13 in such instances will only be partially threaded upon the outwardly projecting end 33 of the central post 32, as illustrated in FIG. 5. When it is desired to lock the spool 49 in place, it is only necessary to turn the thumb nut 13 inwardly along the post portion 33 until it begins to push inwardly upon the circular depression 45, whereupon the inner flat sidewall portion 34 of the cover member 12 will be flexed inwardly to jam the spool core 50 securely between the opposed inside wall portions of the magazine. In this connection it will be noted that the main body portion of the cylindrical post 32 is short enough not to interfere with the inward flexing of the circular depression 45 before the abovedescribed jamming in place of the spool core 50 is effected. It is also to be noted that the post opening 48 in the sidewall cover member 12 is within the spool core 50 to eliminate any possibility of light entering therethrough passing around the outer ends of the spool core to streak, fog or otherwise damage the photosensitive emulsion.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the shallow S-shaped configuration of the feed channel 52 to the dispensing slot 25 (see FIG. 4). The lateral offset thereby achieved serves as a light trap, as well as a smooth guidance path for the sensitized tape, preventing fogging due to lightpiping, while at the same time eliminating binding in the slot regardless of whether the movement of the tape is forward or retrograde. In this connection, it is to be noted, with reference to FIG. 3, that the upwardly directed recess 26 provides a relief area above the upper sensitized surface of the tape 51 being dispensed, which further minimizes the possibility of scratching of the sensitive tape coating.

The laterally aligned detent slots 27, 44 at the front of the magazine are cooperative with indexing mechanism on the photographic equipment, (not illustrated), with which the magazine is to be used, to insure proper alignment when fitting a new magazine in place. It is to be noted, however, that while the magazine herein described and illustrated is of a particular configuration for cooperative use with a particular photographic equipment, its various novel features could as well be applied to rolled sensitive tape dispensing magazines having other configurations for use with other photographic equipment. Thus, while I have illustrated and described herein only one form in which my invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that this form is presented by way of example only and not in a limiting sense. My invention, in brief, comprises all the embodiments and modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials comprising, in combination, a magazine body defining an interior chamber and having laterally opposed resilient sidewalls, means for rotatably supporting a rolled-up strip of material having a central tubular core within said chamber and between said sidewalls, said supporting means comprising mechanism for pressing said sidewalls laterally toward one another to jam the ends of the roll core fixedly in place within said chamber, a lateral slot in said magazine body for the dispensing of the contained strip, and a feed chamber of S-shaped configuration along its length and communicating between the interior of said chamber and said dispensing slot to prevent light-piping through said slot into said chamber.

2. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 1, wherein said sidewalls pressing mechanism comprises coaxial, inwardly directed circular depressions formed in said opposed sidewalls, said depressions defining opposed cylindrical surface portions for rotatably supporting and joumaling outer end portions of a rolled tape core, an axial post extending from one of said circular depressions through a central opening in the other of said circular depressions, and a nut threadingly received on an outer end portion of said post.

3. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 2, wherein the threaded outer end portion of said post is of reduced diameter with respect to the remainder of said post to define an annular shoulder therewith serving as an abutment limiting the relative movement of said other of said circular depressions upon the threading on of said nut.

4. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 3, wherein (the inner peripheral wall of) said interior chamber is (of substantially cylindrical configuration) defined in part by a substantially cylindrical wall surface within said magazine body and substantially concentric with respect to said axial post.

5. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 1, wherein said magazine body comprises an integrally formed body member and an integrally formed sidewall cover member, said body member comprising one of said sidewalls and said cover member comprising the other of said sidewalls, said body member comprising a laterally extending substantially cylindrical wall portion, said sidewall cover member comprising a recess in one side thereof of complemental configuration with respect to and coextensive with the outer edge of said laterally extending cylindrical wall portion for receiving said outer edge portion in interfitting engagement therein, and means for securing said body member and said sidewall cover member in relatively fixed interfitting engagement.

6. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 5, wherein said body member and said sidewall cover member are each integrally formed of a synthetic plastic material and wherein said securing means comprises wells provided in spaced relation along said cover member recess for the reception of a liquid sealant adapted to be drawn along portions of said recess by capillary attraction.

7. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 5, wherein said sidewalls pressing mechanism comprises coaxial inwardly directed circular depressions formed one each in said opposed sidewalls, said depressions defining opposed cylindrical surface portions for rotatably supporting and joumaling outer end portions of a rolled tape, an axial post extending from one of said circular depressions through a central opening in the other of said circular depressions, and a thumb nut threadingly received on an outer end portion of said post.

8. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 7, wherein said axial post extends from the circular depression in said body member and wherein the threaded outer end portion of said post is of reduced diameter with respect to the remainder of said post to define an annular shoulder therewith serving as an abutment limiting the relative movement of the other of said circular depressions upon the threading on the said nut.

9. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 8, wherein (the inner peripheral wall of) said interior chamber is (of substantially cylindrical configuration) defined in part by a substantially cylindrical wall surface within said magazine body and substantially concentric with respect to said axial post.

10. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 9, wherein said feed chamber extends forwardly of the remainder of said magazine near the lower end thereof to define a exterior detent slot at the front of said magazine for cooperative indexing engagement with photographic equipment with which the magazine is to be used. 

1. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials comprising, in combination, a magazine body defining an interior chamber and having laterally opposed resilient sidewalls, means for rotatably supporting a rolled-up strip of material having a central tubular core within said chamber and between said sidewalls, said supporting means comprising mechanism for pressing said sidewalls laterally toward one another to jam the ends of the roll core fixedly in place within said chamber, a lateral slot in said magazine body for the dispensing of the contained strip, and a feed chamber of S-shaped configuration along its length and communicating between the interior of said chamber and said dispensing slot to prevent light-piping through said slot into said chamber.
 2. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 1, wherein said sidewalls pressing mechanism comprises coaxial, inwardly directed circular depressions formed in said opposed sidewalls, said depressions defining opposed cylindrical surface portions for rotatably supporting and journaling outer end portions of a rolled tape core, an axial post extending from one of said circular depressions through a central opening in the other of said circular depressions, and a nut threAdingly received on an outer end portion of said post.
 3. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 2, wherein the threaded outer end portion of said post is of reduced diameter with respect to the remainder of said post to define an annular shoulder therewith serving as an abutment limiting the relative movement of said other of said circular depressions upon the threading on of said nut.
 4. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 3, wherein (the inner peripheral wall of) said interior chamber is (of substantially cylindrical configuration) defined in part by a substantially cylindrical wall surface within said magazine body and substantially concentric with respect to said axial post.
 5. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 1, wherein said magazine body comprises an integrally formed body member and an integrally formed sidewall cover member, said body member comprising one of said sidewalls and said cover member comprising the other of said sidewalls, said body member comprising a laterally extending substantially cylindrical wall portion, said sidewall cover member comprising a recess in one side thereof of complemental configuration with respect to and coextensive with the outer edge of said laterally extending cylindrical wall portion for receiving said outer edge portion in interfitting engagement therein, and means for securing said body member and said sidewall cover member in relatively fixed interfitting engagement.
 6. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 5, wherein said body member and said sidewall cover member are each integrally formed of a synthetic plastic material and wherein said securing means comprises wells provided in spaced relation along said cover member recess for the reception of a liquid sealant adapted to be drawn along portions of said recess by capillary attraction.
 7. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 5, wherein said sidewalls pressing mechanism comprises coaxial inwardly directed circular depressions formed one each in said opposed sidewalls, said depressions defining opposed cylindrical surface portions for rotatably supporting and journaling outer end portions of a rolled tape, an axial post extending from one of said circular depressions through a central opening in the other of said circular depressions, and a thumb nut threadingly received on an outer end portion of said post.
 8. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 7, wherein said axial post extends from the circular depression in said body member and wherein the threaded outer end portion of said post is of reduced diameter with respect to the remainder of said post to define an annular shoulder therewith serving as an abutment limiting the relative movement of the other of said circular depressions upon the threading on the said nut.
 9. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 8, wherein (the inner peripheral wall of) said interior chamber is (of substantially cylindrical configuration) defined in part by a substantially cylindrical wall surface within said magazine body and substantially concentric with respect to said axial post.
 10. A magazine for the storage and dispensing of rolled-up strips of sensitized materials as defined in claim 9, wherein said feed chamber extends forwardly of the remainder of said magazine near the lower end thereof to define a exterior detent slot at the front of said magazine for cooperative indexing engagement with photographic equipment with which the magazine is to be used. 